High School Graduation – How to Help the Grad’s Siblings During this Time

High School Graduation - How to Help the Grad's Siblings During this Time

Our home has just finished going through a really big moment in my Teenager’s life. This weekend we celebrated and stood in pride as we watched him graduate from High School. Yet as my Husband and I were standing in pride my younger children, his siblings, were standing in fear, dread and awe. They started to ask when he was leaving, when he would come home, if they would see him again. In all the fuss and stress of preparing for his moment I totally forgot about the sibling side of High School graduation.

I mean when you think of your older children reaching the milestones in life it is easy to forget how those moments can have a lasting impact on the younger children looking on. As my son walked across that stage, diploma in hand and a smile on his face my youngest was tugging at my leg asking me “Does this mean ‘The College’ is taking him home instead of us“. I hadn’t even notice how much he and his older yet stil young (7 and 5) sister had been paying attention to things these last few months.

As we walked to the other side of the building to pick my new graduate up I explained that he would be coming home with us today and that College didn’t start until the end of summer. This is when the flood of questions that must have been in their minds for so long came out. 

“Was he still there brother if he didn’t live with us?

“Would he forget them when he left?”

“Who would feed him at The College”

“Why couldn’t he just stay home?”

“When could they visit?”

As their little voices poured out their concerns I realized that I had been so focused on making sure my Teenager was ready for this milestone that I completely forgot the sibling side of things. Their lives were changing, they were moving into a new phase and they needed to be prepared as well.

As we headed to our celebration dinner I began the slow process of preparing them for the next part of things. The what happens after High School Graduation ut not for the Teenager, this time I focused on them.

“Yes, he will always be their brother no matter where he lives or goes.”

“He would never forget them no matter what because he loved them.”

“He would be able to eat the same as they do in school at a cafeteria.” *I must admit his one made me laugh a bit…LOL 🙂 

“He needed to go to a school that could teach him what he liked, music, but he would be home as often as he could.”

“We will visit as much aspossible and to see him on special moments for school.”

Now trust me these were not the end of the questions, but now that I realized there was a siblging side of High School graduation, I know that I can help prepare them better.

Have you had one child leave the home for school?

How did you prepare your other children?

What do you feel are the best ways to help them cope?

 

Read similar posts like this one: Future Mommy-to-Be Solutions: Snuza Go!

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